Scion / Deadlands Crossover game idea

[HairyHeretic]

Take the Deadlands setting ... steampunk horror western, undead varmints and Things That Go Bump In The Night.

Drop in a handfull of Scions, to go bump right back again.

Make with the Dr FrankenGM impersonation (probably mostly the Scion rule set, with additions)

Simmer at gas mark 4 til ready to bring to the boil, and serve with much ass kicking.

What do you think? Workable idea?

[Ixy]

OK... Weird West is a fantastic setting, so you get a gold star.  Creepy desert zombies, witchdoctors (not exactly PC, but with that understood-- fuck, it's fiction, get over it), devils and chupacabra and all kinds of shit-- very cool :)

I've already expressed open interest in finding a Steampunkish game, and putting that in the west would be fantastical.

Now, Scion?  I know nothing.  From what I read on Wikipedia a few minutes ago, it's White Wolf, right?  And if that's true, I used to know White Wolf like the back of my hand.  I larped, did tabletop, everything... of course, that all stopped about 7 or 8 years ago and I'm given to understand that it's changed a bit.  All that aside, I think it generates some amazing creative options for character types, though I'd suggest defining a narrow field of scope so that the conflict between the cultural pantheons doesn't vastly overshadow the nifty setting.

Please include me in the 'interested and willing to apply' category, if you don't mind.  Some ideas: would it be possible to develop a specific pantheon guideline for Voodoun or Native American  mythology?  Just trying to get some ideas.

[BlueMary]

Hmm...I could probably come up with a Huckster-esque thing. *ponders*

[Cold Heritage]

Seems workable. How much would you want people to know about Deadlands to play?

[HairyHeretic]

OK... Weird West is a fantastic setting, so you get a gold star.  Creepy desert zombies, witchdoctors (not exactly PC, but with that understood-- fuck, it's fiction, get over it), devils and chupacabra and all kinds of shit-- very cool :)

Yup.

I've already expressed open interest in finding a Steampunkish game, and putting that in the west would be fantastical.

Deadlands looks a fun setting. I've only skimmed it so far, but a lot of the steampunk toys I've seen look like they'd be easy enough to stat to modern day type items.

Now, Scion?  I know nothing.  From what I read on Wikipedia a few minutes ago, it's White Wolf, right?  And if that's true, I used to know White Wolf like the back of my hand.  I larped, did tabletop, everything... of course, that all stopped about 7 or 8 years ago and I'm given to understand that it's changed a bit.  All that aside, I think it generates some amazing creative options for character types, though I'd suggest defining a narrow field of scope so that the conflict between the cultural pantheons doesn't vastly overshadow the nifty setting.

Yep, it's White Wolf. Here's what I wrote about Scion in another thread, by way of a very brief explanation of it.

Think of it almost in superhero terms. Basic background is that waaaaaaaaaaay back when, the various Gods locked the titans away. They were for killing them, but found out that was a bad idea. IIRC, they killed Ymir, and that caused the last ice age. Rather than risk destroying the entire world, they locked the titans away .. elsewhere.

The titans want to get loose and likely take revenge on the Gods, destroy the world in the process and be generally unpleasent. As a mortal son or daughter of one of these deities, you're the front line to keep the titans locked away. You have your own supernatural speed, strength, charisma and so on, and relics that allow you to channel specific powers.

My pen and paper group is playing a Scion campaign at present. In the first episode, the characters were drawn together .. my own Scion of Sun Wukong (Chinese), a Scion of Thor (Norse pantheon), a Scion of Anubis (Egyption pantheon), and three Scions from the Greek pantheon (Hermes, Dionysus and Athena I think).

They found out there was a titan buried under a Romanian castle, and had to go destroy a device which could be used to wake it. They realised that the one that gave them their task was actually titanspawn, and the device was what was keeping the titan contained. They went back out, fought a fire giant and wrapped the situation up.

From there, a brief jaunt over to Dublin for some personal business of the Scion of Thor. In Dublin they were attacked by Yakuza, which led them to Las Vegas, where they spiked an Onis plans to get his hands on a powerful relic, defeating an Aztec monster to gain it for themselves.

From there, they're off to California to investigate an old mining town which was apparently closed down years ago ... which leads to the question of who sent them the fax using the stationary from that mining company?


As the campaign progresses, the players will grow in power, becoming demigods and finally Gods in their own right.

Now, we'd probably have to tweak it a bit. I'm not sure about the Japanese or Egyptian or Indian pantheons having Scions running around the old West, but the rest certainly have enough immigrants and descendents who could be. That's not to say the Gods limit themselves to blood relations and their own peoples, but those are the ones I would expect to see most off.

Please include me in the 'interested and willing to apply' category, if you don't mind.  Some ideas: would it be possible to develop a specific pantheon guideline for Voodoun or Native American  mythology?  Just trying to get some ideas.

The core book has the Egyptian, Greek, Norse, Aztec, Voodoo and Japanese pantheons. The Companion adds the Chinese, Irish, Indian (not native American) and IIRC Atlantean pantheons.

If there's a homebrewed Native American one, I'd likely be willing to allow it, after I had a look at it.

Hmm...I could probably come up with a Huckster-esque thing. *ponders*

I don't have any experience with the Deadlands rules, but the characters would be Scions, rather than the usual Deadlands characters. That's not to say we could adapt stuff. A Huckster is undead correct? Playing a Scion of one of the God / Goddesses of Death, we could probably figure something out there.

Seems workable. How much would you want people to know about Deadlands to play?

Given I've never played it myself, and just skimmed the rules and setting, not a lot :)

I'd be tweaking it some anyway, to make it fit more with the Scion setting (it's actually a Titan responsible for the nastiness etc etc)

[Cold Heritage]

The Companion adds the Chinese, Irish, Indian (not native American) and IIRC Atlantean pantheons.

They also add an American pantheon (with gods like Uncle Sam, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Pecos Bill, for examples), but their pantheon specific Purview, Industry, might not be terribly apropos for an actual Wild West scenario. While 'Work Harder' is fine (you can peel taters twice as fast!), the others like Work Smarter and Gremlins might rely on more pervasive technology than you'd see present in the old west. The ultimate power is also 'The Project,' as in 'Manhattan Project,' so it might not be so good but if we ever get to max Legend I bet there's something we could decide on. Rosie the Riveter might need some tweaking since she's all about women's suffrage and I don't know how well timelines coincide.

There's an Allied Powers pantheon, too, which has some example gods for Britain (so you get guys like John Bull, a goddess called Britannia, Robin Hood, some others), France (D'Artagnon, two goddesses who embody aspects of the French Revolution), and the USSR (Mother Russia, Baba Yaga, and the Citizen). They get a power called Civitas that's pretty well teamwork and transfering around dots.

Given I've never played it myself, and just skimmed the rules and setting, not a lot :)

I'd be tweaking it some anyway, to make it fit more with the Scion setting (it's actually a Titan responsible for the nastiness etc etc)

Would it be enough to just go off and read wikipedia, reviews on rpg.net, and that sort of thing, or would I need to have the book?

[MadPanda]

Not quite what I'd been looking for, since Wild West isn't my favorite genre, but the Weird West would be quite Scion-worthy.  Let me see what sort of character I can dream up for this...

[Ixy]

Ok-- I could see this taking a very cool direction.  The influx of immigrants to the American West would definitely make for an excellent opportunity for a variety of pantheons to meet up, much in the same way that the setting itself was a hodgepodge of cultures.

I gotta say that I'm not too excited about the more modern or post-medieval lines you mentioned, Cold Heritage, but I definitely get the idea of how these groups are to develop throughout history.  Personally, I prefer the notion that the Scions are remnant bloodlines from ancient cultures and deities rather than newer iconic figures or folklore. Is it safe to say that the Scions themselves don't necessarily have a grasp of the exact nature of their forebears?

I'll look around for the rules set... I'll ask a couple friends and check the local used-book store. 

I definitely have a couple ideas, and will try to solidify at least a couple of character sketches today.

[Cold Heritage]

Personally, I prefer the notion that the Scions are remnant bloodlines from ancient cultures and deities rather than newer iconic figures or folklore.

Unless HairyHeretic changes things, that's not how things function.

Is it safe to say that the Scions themselves don't necessarily have a grasp of the exact nature of their forebears?

Not at all. A Scion is the direct child of a god or goddess, being either the male or female parent of the Scion character. Scions only come into their power when they receive a Visitation, wherein a messenger from the character's pantheon or the divine parent personally comes to visit the character and explain that one of the character's parents was a god or goddess.

The Hero book's introductory fiction, for example, has a boy named Eric Donar get a visit from Hugin and Munin who explain that Eric's father is Thor, and info dump the game's loose setting framework.

[Ixy]

Then how does something like "Uncle Sam," who's really only an iconic figure of pop culture, develop sentience and become a god?

[MadPanda]

The Pulp Setting does have a few issues...
But for the 'canon' setting (that's, uh, everything but the 'pulp' setting), CH is right.

[Cold Heritage]

Then how does something like "Uncle Sam," who's really only an iconic figure of pop culture, develop sentience and become a god?

The book's vague. Several of the American gods might just be older gods taken on new identities (Coyote, for example, becomes Br'er Rabbit, AKA Rascally Rabbit, and Lady Liberty is one of Athena's adopted daughters), but it's also possible that people simply believed enough and Fate created something from the raw belief of humanity.

[HairyHeretic]

The WW2 Pantheons I'm ignoring, because they're a bit on the silly side :) . I can see how they might develop, but at this point in time they wouldn't exist anyway, so it's kinda moot. If you want to see how belief can form things, try Neil Gaimans 'American Gods' or Sir PTerrys 'Small Gods'.

As has already been mentioned, the Scions themselves are the (mortal) sons and daughters of various Gods and Goddesses, either by blood or by adoption (there are a handfull of virgin Goddesses I believe).

In the modern Scion setting, the Scion doesn't have to belong to a suitable national or ethnic group. Their divine parent did the deed with their mortal one, and when the child reached adulthood, they got a Visitation, found out who they really are, and the nature of the World.

In this setting, it might make more sense to keep ethnic ties, but frankly, if you can give me a good enough story for why you're the son / daughter of who you are, then it's good.

If we go with ethnics, then I can see the Norse and Celtic scions hailing from the Northern States quite handily. The Chinese is represented by the labourers who worked on the railroads, so coming in from the West. It's not too big of a stretch for a Mexican to have a tie to the Aztec pantheon, and the slaves in the South (or their freed compatriots in the North) give a good in for the Loa (Voodoo).

Egyptian and Greek would probably be ok in any part of the States, though not likely that many Egyptian bloodlines. Japanese and Indian ... fairly rare I'd guess. The Atlantean is something of a wild card, and I'm sure there'll be a home brewed Native American pantheon or two on the web.

Having the books would be useful, but there should be decent enough info online for you to get an idea of it, and I have all the books, so can guide character creation. All you really need to start is a concept for the character.

Range riding bounty hunter, scion of a God of hunting.
Steampunk mad scientist, scion of a God of Smithing.
Gambler, scion of a trickster God.

There's plenty of scope.

[HairyHeretic]

Here's some useful stuff

http://wiki.white-wolf.com/whitewolf/index.php?title=Fan_Made_Scion_Pantheons

Expanded Pantheons for the core stuff, and a homemade bunch.

There is a native american one there, but they don't have a pantheon specific powerset.

[Ixy]

Alright-- haven't yet viewed all the source material, but I have a few concepts about which I'd greatly appreciate your opinion or feedback.  Of course, these would have to be molded into creation rules and a pantheon, but they're just ideas for now.  I'm kind of leaning towards A or B.

Bounty hunter/vigilante, Scion of Vengeance
-Former soldier from MO, raider.  Left unit before the war was over because of atrocities witnessed, seeks vengeance/balance between law and chaos (as both have the same potential for evil). 
-Personality: solitary, but secretly very lonely, this young woman's tortured past returns to her frequently, and she can only stem its hold by burning evil out of this world.  As likely to assassinate a gang-leader as to depose a governor, she has no respect for authority or code.  She'd be a hardcore gunslinger and tracker, bordering on self-destructive.
-Appearance: Irish features, boasting a lovely figure despite a rugged lfestyle.  She's young in years, but ancient in the eyes, scarred and hardened in the subtle ways, a startling contrast that represents the allure of vengeance contrasted with its grisly reality.

Mystic or mesmerist, Scion of the Dead
-Absinthe-addicted, nightmare-plagued visionary haunted by visitations from the dead and visions of others' sin, she could be a gypsy, scholar from Europe, or heiress on hiatus in the dry climate for 'health reasons'.
-Personality: while fond of 'finer things', isn't ashamed of 'roughing it' and isn't likely to complain despite the personal tortures and horrific images she considers routine.  Somewhat of a nihilist, a bit of a schemer... will plot and insinuate, preferring to avoid direct confrontation.  Propensity for the exotic and collector of curiosities.  May actually travel with a carnival, or perhaps just live out of a trunk, or travel frequently and keep her remote home in the hands of a hulking, illiterate, but earnest caretaker when away on trips.
-Appearance: sleek, sexy, fanciful dress-- exotic features and characteristics.  Slight accent, haughty carriage and a shrewd, knowing smile.  Mid-to-late 20's, ebony hair and pale skin.  Perhaps piercings, tattoos, jewelry-- totems of cultural mysticism other than her own.

Circus performer, Scion of Prophecy
-Street-savvy girl, orphaned since her early childhood, with remarkable physical abilities and abnormal reaction times, balance, and courage, raised by performers and wanderers.  Seeking a destiny.
-Personality: Adventurous and utterly fearless, this girl's catlike grace and subtle glow of charm wins her admirers to the point of risk.  She's not very inhibited, though she is often brooding-- especially when alone.  She travels light, preferring to stay out of sight when alone so as not to attract unnecessary dangers. 
-Appearance: muscular and youthful, with dusky eastern skin that hints at a hodgepodge of a lineage.  She dresses in worn, mended clothing except when preforming.  No older than 19.

[HairyHeretic]

Either of the first two concepts sound quite workable. Depending on which pantheon appealed to you I could give you a bit more information on prospective divine parents and abilities.

Magic and Prophecy are something that all Scions have access to, though there aren't that many spells as such. What you do have is Epic attributes (strength, intelligence, charisma) all of which have associated abilities, and purviews, which are along the lines of spells or abilities, granted through relic items.

[HairyHeretic]

So, does anyone else have a character concept, or are there things I need to expand on more before that is ready?

[MadPanda]

You have mine, I think...   :-)  Although she's really meant for a more 'lighthearted' sort of game than you seem to have in mind.

[HairyHeretic]

I think she'd work fine in this setting. If you'd rather come up with something different, you can.

[MadPanda]

We'll give it a go.  :-)  Nobody ever said the Weird West was entirely without Teh Funneh.

[HairyHeretic]

This is true.

[HairyHeretic]

Ok, so we have a couple of characters now. I'd ideally like a couple more before making a start of things. I find 4-6 is a decent size for a group game.

[Muse]

*Pounce!* 
\May I play? 

May I? 

Please, please, please? 

[Paladin]

I have a SCION of Hachiman.

[HairyHeretic]

Sure. I could use a couple more players. What've you got in mind for a concept?

Ixy, Madpanda, do you want to give a brief idea of your characters so people can see what the group consists of so far?